T - The porter characters are prominent in the beginning. Roasted malts coupled with rich, chocolatey notes. The barrel has done a number on this beer and that becomes apparent on the back end. Pronounced dry grape and dark fruit flavor, bordering on tart. I think the fruit notes bring out the underlying chocolate in this beer a bit. The malts never quit and the finish is quite sweet. Tastes exactly like I would expect a baltic porter aged in red wine barrels to taste with obvious contributions form both sides.

M - I found Baltic Thunder to be a bit too thin, but this one works nicely. Carbonation is appropriately light and the body matches up with the flavors.

O - This was a release I was excited for since I first heard about it. Victory is one of my favorite brewers and, come on, a porter aged in wine barrel? This beer is a whole dfferent beast than Baltic Thunder. It has adopted many flavors of the barrel, adding fruit and oak to the already roasty porter. I don't know that I will be rushing to the store to stockpile this stuff, but it is interesting and certainly worth trying.

More User Reviews:

750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 8/8/2013. Pours nearly pitch black color with a 2 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, brown bread, tannic red wine, oak, raisin, plum, fig, vanilla, light char, and roast/oaky earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of roast/bready malt, wine barrel, and yeast ester notes; with good strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, brown bread, tannic red wine, oak, raisin, plum, fig, vanilla, light char, and roast/oaky earthiness. Slight roast/oak bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, brown bread, red wine, oak, raisin, plum, fig, vanilla, light char, and roast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice complexity and robustness of roast/bready malt, wine barrel, and yeast ester flavors; with a great malt/barrel balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy, and lightly chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with only a light warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent wine barrel aged Baltic porter. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of roast/bready malt, wine barrel, and yeast ester flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.

A: A very dark brown beer with a deep garnet hue. The persistent head is made of fine brown bubbles.

S: Moderately-strong cocoa and oak aromas with the oak bringing cinnamon and a bit of vanilla along with a bit of the red wine aromas of dark stone fruit. There is subtle alcohol sweetness.

T: There is a moderately light malt sweetness with a medium cocoa flavor. The oak is moderately strong but doesn't overwhelm. There is only a light hops bitterness but the balance is about even although the the oak and alcohol assist in countering the sweetness. The finish is medium with an aftertaste of oak an stone fruit.

O: A creamy beer with moderate cocoa flavor and an unmistakable red wine oak character supporting the porter with notes of currants, cherry, oak and cinnamon. I was really impressed with this on tap, it hold up well in the bottle but well worth finding on tap.

From tasting notes. L: It pours brilliant red highlighted chestnut under a 1” quickly receding white foam collar. S: Raisin and wine aromas rise from the glass. T: The attack starts with wine and fruit flavors, primarily plum and then it goes through an array of flavors such as light coffee and chocolate to the finish where the hops are in the background. F: The body is medium to full carbonation is a little below medium. O: A big, bold Baltic Porter.

Smell (4.25/5): Red Thunder may look innocent enough, but one whiff and you know you're in for a very interesting drinking experience. On smelling the beer, you're hit with an interesting melange of black cherry, oak tannins, and the typical roasty, malty porter notes. No booziness to speak of.

Taste (4.25/5): The taste follows the smell. The first taste on the tip of the tongue is oak, sherry, and black cherry notes mixed with a high purity, dry dark chocolate flavor. The wine barrel and dark fruit flavors end up fading towards the end, giving way to the typical dry and roasty porter flavors. Well-balanced, the sweet and roasty elements are in good equilibrium; neither dominates the other. Again, as with the nose, Red Thunder is remarkably un-boozy despite the high ABV. Unexpectedly good with a nice bit of complexity.

Mouthfeel (4/5): Full-bodied, medium carbonation, and creamy. A beer that, despite its richness and complexity, is easy drinking. I could probably drink a full 750 mL bottle of this.

A: Pours a very dark ruby brown appearing black in the glass. Minimal white head rings the outside of the glass. Spots of lacing on the glass.

S: Nice complex aroma going on here. A blend of sour cherry, chocolate and roasted malt. Can certainly get some red wine character. It could be considered a tad faint but is a enticing blend.

T: Quite the enjoyable beer. The wine barrels add a good amount of flavor as does the wood. Provides some tart fruity tones as well as a mellow notes. Roasted malt is of course a dominant flavor being the basis of the base porter. Lingering roastiness and chocolate makeup the aftertaste. Dark fruits, coffee and smokiness in there as well.

M: Medium body with low to average carbonation. A bit watery but doesnt feel too thin. Is a bold enough beer to sip on yet retains the mouthfeel of something lighter. A bit on the dryer side due to the red wine.

Overall I'd love to get another bottle of this beer. Great complexity and complimentary flavors going on here. Starts off as one beer and finishes as quite another. Pick one up.

O - This was a bit strange and also a bit of a let down. Initially it smells and tastes likes a sour - or heading that direction. But in an instant I felt fooled. What you may think is about to be sour cherry is actually dry red wine which turns to mild sweetness as the chocolate and carmel flavors come through. Mouth is avg at best being too watery but the 8.5 ABV is hidden quite well and is very easy to drink.